1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electrical or data outlets and particularly to secure cover plate arrangements to minimize misuse of outlets.
2. Prior Art
Electrical outlets may be dangerous to small children when access to those electrical outlets is left available to them. Those electrical outlets may also often be available for use by the general public for the operation of their personal communication devices, laptops and various other electrical equipment. The property owner where these electrical outlets may be arranged may not wish to have these electrical outlets available for use by just anyone, such as small children, travelers or people just looking for free electricity.
In many public places, electrical and/or data outlets are merely taped over rather than being electrically disconnected, removed and blanked off, probably to avoid the time and cost of an electrician and the possible future need to restore functionality to the box.
My earlier U.S. Pat. No. 4,851,612, issued on 25 Jul. 1989, incorporated herein by reference, disclosed an outlet protector, which showed an enclosure attachable to an electrical outlet cover plate, to provide a safety enclosure for plugs mated to outlets within the cover plate.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical/data outlet cover plate arrangement which will temporarily decommission an electrical/data outlet.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an electrical/data outlet decommissioning arrangement which is utilizable without the services of an expensive electrician.
It is a further object of the present invention to permit a decommissioning cover plate to be attached to the holes in the electrical/data outlet receptacle rather than the electrical box as is the case with a standard blanking plate, thereby allowing for the receptacle to remain installed while it is decommissioned.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a space between the decommissioning cover plate and the baseplate so as to allow for protrusion of the intact electrical receptacle or data port that is being covered/decommissioned.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an electrical/data outlet decommissioning arrangement which allows for the outlet to be restored to its regular use quickly and without electrical alterations.
It is yet still a further object of the present invention to provide a cover plate which is removably attachable from a receiving baseplate by a simple tool, yet not readily removable by unauthorized users.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cover plate which is securable to a receiving baseplate which permits two sided engagement therewith.
Is yet still a further object of the present invention to provide a cover plate which when secured to a receiving base plate at least partially covers the opening(s) through which the baseplate is secured to the electrical/data outlet.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a decommissioning plate which when secured to a receiving base plate does not allow for a grasping area suitable to a human hand, thus preventing casual removal of that decommissioning plate.